


Bad Day

by Kate_MacKay



Category: Aquaman (2018)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Violence, mentions of torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-13 06:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21239921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kate_MacKay/pseuds/Kate_MacKay
Summary: Arthur and Mera fight for their lives against Black Manta and assassins from Atlantis.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This is a short, random story that I wrote while doing fieldwork this past summer. I don't usually write in this fandom, but I can't control what my imagination dreams up. I hope I do a decent job with these characters and I hope you enjoy this quick story.

CHAPTER ONE:

Stephen Shin, for all his confident declarations about the existence of Atlantis, doubtfully asked David Kane, who called himself Black Manta, “Are you certain they will be here?”

The pirate nodded towards the waves washing over the deserted beach. “Here they are now.”

Six men wearing red watersuits marched from the sea.

Shin felt a surge of excitement. He had been right about Atlantis and he was finally going to have proof. Everyone who wouldn’t believe him before, everyone who had criticized him, laughed at him, and called him a fringe scientist… He would show them.

“You are certain you can fulfill our agreement this time?” the Atlantean captain asked, not bothering to offer any pleasant greetings.

“We know who he is and where he lives on the surface,” Kane informed.

“Good. The halfbreed must be eliminated so King Orm can resume his rightful place on the throne,” the captain replied. “My concern is that you did not fare so well against him last time and I lost some very good men. How do I know this time will be different?”

“This time I know what to expect,” Black Manta responded. “And I know where his parents live. Using them as bait will be the perfect way to catch him.”

“Beware,” the captain warned. “Queen Atlanna is a formidable fighter.”

“An old fighter.”

The Atlantean captain was not impressed by the surfacedweller’s arrogant confidence. “I am assigning you five of my best men. If you disappoint us again, there will be no place at sea or on land where you can hide. No rock, no trench, no island will be a refuge. We will find you and there is no such thing as mercy in Atlantis.”

“There’s no mercy in me, either,” Black Manta growled. “I will find him and kill him.”

The Atlantean captain nodded to his men, then turned and disappeared into the waves.

Shin spoke up. “You can’t kill him. You promised me if I told you who he was, I would get a chance to question him. Learn Atlantean secrets.”

“You will,” Kane assured the smaller man. “Why do you think I wasted time building that cage with Atlantean steel for you? You’ll get the answers you want and I’ll have some fun making the Aquaman hurt before he dies.”


	2. Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO:

There were some good things about being king. But on days like this, Arthur forgot all of them. Diplomacy had never been his strength, but he did his best to ease the tensions his brother had caused by killing the Fisherman King and starting a war with the Brine. More annoying were some of the Highborn and their petty squabbles that he needed to defuse. He was also to feeling the burden of the throne as he was forced to make decisions that affected all the people of Atlantis. Hardest of all, despite the fact he wielded Atlan’s trident, was trying to convince himself he was worthy of being king.

And then Vulko said, “There are rumours that some of Orm’s loyalists want to eliminate you.”

“Eliminate?” Mera questioned, suddenly concerned. “You mean kill?”

Vulko looked grim. “Probably.” He turned to Arthur. “It is not many, supposedly just a handful of Orm’s personal guards, but it is still a threat you should be aware of.”

Arthur rubbed a hand over his eyes and growled with exasperation. “It’s starting to feel like I _shouldn’t_ be king.”

“Because of the opinion of a few of Orm’s unhappy personal guards?” Mera questioned.

“No. Because of all of this,” Arthur replied, standing from the throne and making a sweeping gesture to encompass all of Atlantis. “I’m no diplomat. I don’t even like people, but now I’m supposed to listen to their arguments and solve them like King Solomon. I’m no Solomon.”

“No, you’re not,” Mera agreed, moving to his side and setting a hand on his shoulder. “You are King Arthur.”

“You are new to this,” Vulko added. “It is very different from your old life. It’s no surprise you need time to settle in.”

Arthur glowered doubtfully.

“Why don’t you take a few days and visit your parents on the surface,” Vulko suggested.

“I might not feel like a king, but I’m not going to run from my duty here or hide from Orm’s men and their threats,” Arthur stated adamantly.

“You are not doing either of those,” the vizier insisted. “To be a good king, you must also take care of yourself. Your mother is wise and will have good counsel for you. She understands the pressures of ruling. It will also give me time to assess how serious this rumoured threat against you is.”

Arthur was quiet as he considered the idea.

“I’ll go with you, if you would like,” Mera offered.

Nodding slowly, Arthur made his decision. “I would like that.” A few days with Mera away from the formalities of the Atlantean court would be nice. Mom knew her, but he could properly introduce her to his pops. Then maybe they could have a few days alone together. He thought back to being with her in Italy before Black Manta had shown up. How she had viewed the beauty of the surface world for the first time. A small smile tugged at his lips.

“That’s the happiest I’ve seen you in days, Arthur,” Mera commented.

He took her hand and started leading her from the Great Hall. “Now I have something to look forward to with you. You get to really meet Pops. And I’ll take you to one of those lakes. You know, the baby oceans.”

Mera smiled. She had discovered she liked it when he wasn’t too serious.

“And we'll get some real food. Beer and pizza. Much better than flowers.”

“Those weren’t that bad.”

“We don’t, uh… really eat flowers.”

“Then why…” Mera’s voice trailed off and she flashed him a smile as she recognised eating the rose she had offered him had been an awkwardly romantic gesture on his part. She leaned into him just a little bit and said, “Not bad for an imbecile.”

* * *

Mera hid her ship not far from the rocky coast Tom Curry’s lighthouse warned ships about. She and Arthur swam easily to the wave-washed shoreline and dock where his father had waited for his mother for decades. He was once again dressed in his dark surface-dweller clothes and promised Mera his mother would find her some appropriate clothes for the surface when they arrived.

Standing on the dock, the warm, noontime sunlight shining down, Arthur felt relaxed for the first time in days. Vulko was right. It would be good to talk with Mom and he was glad Mera and Pops could get to know each other. Looking at Mera, he smiled and took her hand. “Thanks for coming.”

Mera squeezed his hand. “I’m happy to be here. I want to see where you grew up and meet your father when we’re not on the brink of global war.”

They walked together up the dock to the house and Arthur knocked on the door.

There was no reply except the barking of his dad’s dog.

Arthur knocked again, harder, calling, “Come on, Pops! Open up!” Then he glanced to where the truck was usually parked and noticed it was gone.

“Ah, hell! Perfect timing,” Arthur uttered unhappily. “They’re not home. The dog’s inside, so they won’t be gone long.”

“We could wait on the dock for them,” Mera suggested. “You can tell me about your parents while we wait.”

Arthur was about to tell her he knew where the spare key was hidden, but he looked from her to the dock and the water beyond. She was beautiful, especially with the sunshine making her hair glow and her blue eyes shine while it danced off the waves behind her like millions of sparkling gems.

Mera tugged on his hand. “Are you listening?”

He cleared his throat. “Um… yeah?”

“So what did I just say?”

“The dock. Go to the dock. Then I got distracted by thinking how beautiful you’d look sitting there at the edge of the water.”

Mera shook her head and smiled. “Nice save. Come on, let’s sit down there and you can tell me about your parents. I know your mother. She took care of me when I was young and my parents were… busy at war, usually. But what about your father? What’s he like? I don’t know much about surface dwellers.”

Arthur stopped walking. “You’re worried about meeting him,” he said with surprise. Mera, who seemed so confident and sure about everything, was worried. It was a startling revelation.

“Worried is a strong word,” she countered, unsuccessfully trying to hide her self-consciousness. “Maybe uneasy or concerned would be better.”

“Want me to find you a thesaurus in the house? Help you find the perfect word? Whatever one you use, I think I understand what you’re feeling. I’m the halfbreed who had to talk to your dad, a king, about our engagement.”

“You’re a king, too,” she replied, then returned her thoughts to her concerns. “I just want to make a good impression.”

“I’m pretty sure you did that when you saved his life.” Arthur tipped her chin up to force her to meet his eyes. “Just be you and he’ll love you for it.” He began to lean down slowly to kiss her, but a dark shape caught his eye. He looked up with surprise and shoved Mera aside just before a glowing red blast of plasma slammed into him.

Mera shouted his name as he was knocked backwards against the jagged grey rocks of the shoreline. She pushed herself to her feet from where she had stumbled on the dock. Before she could do anything else, Black Manta floated in front of her.

“Do not let her escape,” his unnatural voice ordered the five Atlantean soldiers who emerged from the sea with a splash.

Visions of the terrible fight in Italy flashed in her mind, but Mera instantly leapt into action. She ripped a plasma rifle from one soldier’s grip as she unexpectedly jumped from the dock. Landing awkwardly on a sandy spot, she quickly rolled to her knees and shot one soldier before the rifle was knocked aside by the violent swing of a sword. Scrambling to her feet, Mera ducked under another swing and pivoted quickly, ripping the water supply connection from the soldier’s helmet, sending him scurrying to the ocean. Her eyes glowing with fierce blue intensity, she began to summon the power of the sea. But as she turned to aim her assault, a large watersuit fist slammed into her jaw. The stunning blow knocked her to the ground and she lost control of the water. A second punch and her world turned to black.

Arthur felt a rush of anger run through him when he saw the Atlantean soldier strike Mera, but he had his hands full battling Black Manta. The remnants of his black t-shirt smouldered around a large hole that revealed the raw, burned skin of his left shoulder.

Placing his hands on the rocks behind him, Arthur used them for leverage and kicked out with both legs. He hit the pirate hard and pushed him backwards to trip over the uneven rocks. He was about to press his advantage, but an Atlantean soldier attacked. Arthur dodged the swing of a sword, then punched the soldier as he ripped the blade from his grasp. He quickly turned and used the sword to parry another soldiers blade before diving aside to avoid another plasma blast from Black Manta,

Arthur pushed himself to his feet, but before he could do anything else, a painful jolt of electricity slammed into his body and his vision dimmed. He growled and struggled to fight through it.

From somewhere behind him, he heard Black Manta order, “Hit him with it again.”

A stronger, more powerful shock coursed through Arthur’s body. He gritted his teeth and summoned his strength, but he could not hold off the dark wave of unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE:

Mera groaned softly as consciousness slowly came to her. At first she was confused why she ached and why she was laying on a hard surface with the scents of fish, gasoline, and the ocean heavy in the air around her. Then the memory of the fight returned and she forced her eyes open.

Moving slowly, Mera sat up, carefully taking in her surroundings. She was locked in a square metal cell in the centre of a long, rectangular building filled with fishing gear and all sorts of equipment she didn’t know the uses of lining the walls.

“Arthur?” she called softly. Looking behind where she sat, she saw his crumpled form.

Crawling to his side, she gently rolled him onto his back, frowning angrily at the livid burn on his shoulder. Mera tenderly brushed his dark hair from his face, softly begging, “Arthur, please wake up.”

When he showed no response, she checked his pulse, feeling relief at the strong, steady rhythm beneath her fingertips. “Come on, wake up,” she ordered impatiently as she tore the tattered remains of his shirt from his chest, searching for additional wounds.

Arthur's eyes flickered open. “You know, all you had to do was ask and I’d take my clothes off for you.”

Mera flashed an annoyed look, but she couldn’t hide her relief.

Groaning as he sat up, Arthur asked, “Are you hurt?”

“No.”

“Liar.” He gently touched a darkening bruise on her chin.

She flashed another look of exasperation. “That’s nothing. Unlike your shoulder.” A large patch of skin was a raw, angry red with a few places sluggishly seeping blood. Mera couldn’t tell if the small black patches were charred skin or bits of his shirt stuck to the wound.

Arthur rolled his shoulders. Despite a valiant effort, he wasn’t able to suppress a wince. “It’s not bad,” he insisted. It wasn’t _that_ much of a lie. It hurt, but he would still be able to fight. “So where are we?”

“I was hoping you would know that.”

Cursing under his breath, Arthur focused on his surroundings. Their cell was in the centre of a large, rectangular building. Nets, harpoons, and floats lined the walls. Scuba tanks were propped in one area. Acetylene welding equipment was in another. He could smell gasoline and the sea and heard gentle waves washing against something. His eyes settled on the overlapping newspaper clippings about Aquaman tacked to the wall above a desk. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“You think? But where are we?”

“On a dock. A wharf. Some place where boats can refuel,” he observed.

“That’s helpful,” Mera replied sarcastically, but instantly regretted her words when she saw Arthur slump against the cold metal bars.

“Well, I got nothing else for you.” Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself to his feet. He went to the door of the cell and tried to force it open, discovering that even with his considerable strength, he couldn’t budge it. Mera stood up and moved to help him.

“Don’t bother.” David Kane stepped into the room. He still wore the dark Atlantean armour, but had taken off the bug-eyed helmet. Three Atlantean soldiers in watersuits followed him. “The bars are Atlantean steel. You won’t be escaping.”

“I’ve told you twice not to make this a habit,” Arthur stated threateningly. “You just don’t seem to get the message.”

Kane ignored the comment. “My friend would like to ask you some questions.” He stepped aside and Stephen Shin approached the cell.

“Hey! You’re the guy who’s always on TV!” Arthur recognised. “Always yelling about Atlantis.”

Shin pushed his glasses back up his nose. “Obviously I was right. You can’t deny it.” He gestured to the Atlantean soldiers. “But I want to know more about Atlantis… and you.”

“Piss off,” Arthur growled.

“That’s not very nice.” Shin stepped closer. “I know you’re the Aquaman and they told me you are also king of Atlantis. An illegitimate king, according to them, but king nonetheless. I want details about you and about Atlantis. You will answer the questions I have.”

Mera set a hand on Arthur’s forearm and looked at him with worry. He glanced at her, then glared at the much smaller man.

Shin adjusted his glasses again. “I want to know where Atlantis is. Tell me about the people. How is their physiology different? Are you really half human? What powers do you have? Do all Atlanteans have them? Are there more of you among us? And what about the technology? There’s so much I have been waiting years to know.”

Arthur was silent for a moment. “Yeah, there’s things I could tell you.”

Mera looked at him with surprise and disappointment. He tried to ignore how that expression made him feel and focused on Shin. With a subtle nod of his head, he lured the smaller man closer to the cell.

“I am king,” Arthur whispered as he leaned towards the bars. “And the most important thing as king…” he let his voice trail off, drawing Shin even closer. “The most important thing… is protecting Atlantis.” Moving with surprising swiftness, Arthur grabbed the front of Shin’s shirt and yanked his face into the steel bars.

The metal still ringing from the impact, Arthur let go of Shin, who dropped to the ground moaning and clutching his face.

“That was a mistake,” Black Manta said as he helped the smaller man to his feet and handed him his broken glasses. “_Now_ can we do this my way?”

Shin nodded, holding a handkerchief to his bleeding nose.

Kane smiled as he picked up an object from a messy table. He shook the object, revealing numerous leather strips studded with glittering steel. “It’s a cat-o-nine-tails,” the pirate explained. “Flogging was a traditional punishment in the navy.” He swung it, making sure he snapped it just right to create a fearsome crack. “This one is tipped with Atlantean steel. I made it myself, knowing you would feel every lash. You will answer his questions or…” He snapped the whip again. Nodding to the Atlantean soldiers, he ordered, “Get him out. Let’s see how tough he really is.”

“Remember, don’t kill him,” Shin interjected, still holding the handkerchief to his nose.

“Yeah, yeah,” Black Manta dismissed. “You’ll get your answers.” Under his breath, he added, “I’m going to get what I’m looking for, too.”

Mera grasped Arthur’s hand. He glanced at her and in that brief moment his eyes wordlessly spoke volumes. She squeezed his hand and gave a nearly imperceptible nod of understanding.

One of the Atlantean soldiers unlocked the barred door and the other two moved to pull Arthur from the cell. Mera continued to hold his hand, reluctant to let go as they were both pulled closer to the cell door.

“Now!” Arthur exclaimed. He shoved aside the soldiers and charged at Black Manta.

Mera, catching one of the Atlantean soldiers by surprise, was able to wrest away his sword and push him into a tangle of netting.

Then chaos ensued.

Stephen Shin tried to avoid the worst of the fighting by crawling towards a desk. A glimmering silver blade sank deep into the old wood of the wharf, almost piercing the centre of his hand. Shin didn’t know who had dropped it. Or thrown it. He didn’t know anything about fighting or battles other than he did not want to be involved. Reaching the desk, he huddled underneath, hugging his knees to his chest and hoping the fight would soon be over.

David Kane reacted quickly, but Arthur ducked under his slashing blade and barrelled into him. They slammed hard against a rack of scuba tanks. Fighting back tenaciously, the pirate punched Arthur’s wounded shoulder, staggering him. Another punch and Arthur stumbled backwards. He grunted as he landed on a mess of fishing gear. Grabbing the first thing his hand closed around, he threw an old glass net float at Black Manta, who knocked it aside with his short sword. It exploded into shards of blue-green glass.

Meanwhile, Mera had her hands full with the two remaining soldiers. She spun gracefully as she blocked and parried their blades, making battle look like a deadly ballet. A careful slash and she damaged the suit of one, sending water spraying everywhere.

In a panic, the soldier slammed into Arthur and Black Manta, who were grappling for control of the pirate’s Atlantean sword. Both men slipped and Kane’s retractable wrist blade slid between the bars of the cell. Arthur pressed his sudden advantage and wrenched the pirate’s arm so the blade snapped off. Black Manta growled and kicked back, sweeping Arthur’s legs and throwing him to the ground.

Stepping backwards as she battled the one remaining soldier, Mera tripped over his comrade who was rolling on the floor are he struggled to free himself from the fishing nets. Almost falling, she lowered her sword. The Atlantean seized the moment and raised his own blade for a powerful slash. From the corner of his eye, Arthur saw what was happening. He shouted a warning and did the only thing he could. He shoved David Kane aside and threw himself between Mera and the soldier, protecting her with his body. He tried to push the blade aside, but the edge slid across the left side of his ribs, slicing deep into his muscle and scraping across bone.

Arthur grunted with the sudden pain and stumbled to his knees.

Mera recovered her footing and plunged her sword into one of the weak joint of the Atlantean’s watersuit armour. She didn’t wait to watch him fall, but immediately turned to Arthur, calling his name. He was pushing himself to his feet, one hand clamped tightly against his side as red welled between his fingers. “Arthur!” she repeated.

He ignored her look of concern. Black Manta was still a threat. He turned to see the other man had crashed against the workbench where his helmet sat. “Get down!” Arthur ordered, seeing the pirate reaching for the trigger mechanism for the plasma weapon. He threw his arms around Mera’s shoulders and pulled her to the ground as a bright red burst of plasma cut the air where they had been standing.

The powerful plulse of energy hit an electrical box. It exploded into a shower of sparks that landed on some old netting and a pile of dirty rags. Flames instantly sprang to life.

Arthur’s eyes flicked to the nearby acetylene tanks. “We gotta go now!” he exclaimed. His side and shoulder vehemently complained at the movement, but he scrambled to his feet, pulling Mera with him.

Black Manta pushed away from the workbench, picked up the sword he had dropped, and charged after Arthur and Mera.

Pushing Mera towards the door, Arthur ordered, “Run! Go!”

The fire was spreading quickly, happily consuming the old wood of the wharf and moving dangerously close to the welding tanks.

Arthur stopped to tip over a bank of oxygen cylinders and rolled them into Black Manta’s path. The pirate leapt the first one easily, but his feet tangled in the others and he fell awkwardly.

His wounds refusing to be ignored, Arthur staggered slightly. He pushed through the momentary weakness and followed Mera out the door, grabbing a set of car keys sitting on a small table on his way out. He caught up with Mera as the wharf exploded behind them, lighting the sky with a brilliant flash of blazing red and orange.

The force of the blast knocked them to the ground. Arthur rolled atop Mera to protect her from the flaming debris raining down around them. He grunted when something hot struck his back. When everything had finally settled, he rolled off Mera. They both sat up and looked back at the wharf.

All that remained was scattered flaming debris and the thick wood pylons jutting from the water.

“Did you know that would happen?” Mera asked as she stood up and brushed herself off.

“Yeah. Acetylene for welding. Very explosive.” Arthur clamped a hand to his bleeding side and forced himself to his feet. “Let’s get out of here… wherever here is.” He didn’t recognise the location. The wharf had projected from a low, rocky coastline not unlike the area around his father’s lighthouse. A car and a truck, both slightly dented from falling debris, were parked a short distance away.

Arthur clicked the fob on the set of keys he had taken. This white Toyota Corolla parked next to the black pickup blinked its lights and honked its horn. The tiny car wouldn’t have been his choice, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

When Arthur opened the door to the car, Mera asked, “Are we stealing this?”

He nodded. “Can you drive?”

“I’ve only been to the surface twice before this.”

“So that’s a no.” Arthur sighed. “Shit.” He moved the driver’s seat all the way back and folded his large frame into the tiny car as Mera slid into the passenger seat.

Mera knew why he had asked. She could see lines of pain in his expression. “Arthur, can you drive? You’re losing a lot of blood.”

“Yeah. I’ll be fine. We need to get out of here before someone comes to check out the explosion and fire.”

He was right. They didn’t need to be discovered by the surface-dweller authorities, but she put a gentle hand on his arm and ordered, “Wait.” She looked around the car, her eyes finally settling on an ugly yellow plaid scarf on the backseat. “Lean forward.” She quickly wrapped it around Arthur’s ribs as a makeshift bandage. “You have to stop at the first safe place so I can take better care of this.”

“That will be Dad’s lighthouse.”

“You know what I mean,” she replied sternly.

Arthur nodded. He started the engine, shifted into gear, and turned onto a narrow road.


	4. Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR:

After a few miles, Arthur recognised the names of towns and determined they had been taken to Massachusetts. He found a good road along the coast and turned north. He continued driving a while and hoped he had gone far enough from the demolished wharf when he knew he couldn’t drive any farther. Blood loss and pain were taking their toll.

The neon sign of the Sands Motel caught his eye and the flickering word _vacancy_ beckoned invitingly. It didn’t matter that the motel looked like its better days were long ago. Arthur pulled into the parking lot.

Mera eyed the place dubiously. “We’re stopping here?”

“This kind of place won’t ask questions or be surprised when they find a stolen car abandoned in their lot," he explained. “You need to rent a room.” Arthur looked down at himself. “They might not ask a lot of questions, but I don’t think they’d rent a room to me.”

“So how do I do this?”

Arthur explained renting a room. He fished a few fifty dollar bills from his wallet and pressed them into Mera’s hand. “Pay with that. And remember, make up a name. Don’t use yours or mine.”

Mera’s eyes roamed over him. She could see he was trying to battle through pain and weariness and worried how badly hurt he really was. She set a gentle hand on his forearm. “I’ll be right back. Then I can see to you.”

Arthur nodded, closing his eyes as she got out of the car and closed the door. He must have dozed slightly, because suddenly she was getting back into the car holding a key.

“We have room 130. It’s in the back, like you wanted, so it should be quiet.”

Arthur took a deep breath and tried to summon some energy. “Good job.” He started the car and drove it to the back of the motel, parking in front of the door to their room.

Swaying slightly as he stepped from the car, Arthur was grateful when Mera slipped a steadying hand around his waist. He draped an arm over her shoulders, hoping he wasn’t leaning too heavily on her as they made their way to the motel room door. The paint was faded and peeling, revealing the old, grey wood beneath. When Mera opened the door, the hinges creaked a complaint.

Stepping inside, Mera sighed with disappointment. The room smelled musty. The carpet was worn and faded. The furniture was chipped and scratched. Even the badly-painted seascape on the wall looked neglected, hanging crookedly above the bed.

But Arthur smiled. “There’s a phone. I can call Mom and Dad.”

Mera looked at him questioningly.

“They’ll come get us. Take us home.” He let go of Mera and sat on the edge of the bed as he picked up the phone and dialed his father’s number.

“Hello?” Arthur felt a wave of relief when he heard his father’s voice.

“Pops, I need some help.”

“OK.”

“We’re in Gloucester Beach, Massachusetts at the Sands Motel and need a ride home.”

“What are you doing in Massachusetts?”

“It’s a long story.”

Arthur heard muffled talking in the background and then his mother’s voice came on the phone. “Arthur, what is going on?”

“Like I told Pops, it’s a long story. I’ll tell you when I see you.”

With a mother’s intuition, Atlanna asked, “Are you hurt?”

“No,” he replied quickly, but discovered he couldn’t lie to his mother and added, “Not much.”

“Is Mera with you?”

“Yeah.”

“I want to talk to her.”

Arthur held out the phone to Mera. “It’s Mom. She wants to talk to you.”

Slightly hesitant, Mera took the phone and held it to her ear like Arthur had. “Queen Atlanna?”

Atlanna would usually have reminded Mera not to use the title, but she was too worried. “Mera, are you all right?”

“Yes.”

“What about Arthur?”

Mera glanced at him. “He was stabbed, but I haven’t had a chance to see how bad it is.”

“Please promise me you will take care of him,” Atlanna requested, concern obvious in her voice.

“I will.”

“Put him back on.”

Mera handed to phone back to Arthur.

“Don’t be stubborn,” Atlanna ordered. “Let Mera take care of you.”

“Yes, Mom.”

“We’ll see you soon, Arthur. Here’s your father.”

“You said the Sands Motel in Gloucester Beach, right?” Tom asked.

“Yeah. Room 130.”

“We’re leaving now, son, but it will be five or so hours before we get there.”

“Thanks, Pops.” Arthur hung up the phone. He started to lay back on the bed, but Mera caught his arm and held him upright.

“Oh no you don’t!” she objected. “I just promised your mother I would take care of you and you are not sleeping until I see how bad you’re hurt.” She gestured towards the bathroom. “There’s water in there to clean you up. Do you think you can make it that far?”

“Yes, I can make it that far.” Arthur sounded insulted. “It’s not _that_ bad.” Despite his words, he swayed slightly as he forced himself to his feet and walked unsteadily to the bathroom.

Mera closed the toilet lid and ordered, “Sit.”

Arthur was happy to obey. He _did_ feel that bad, if he was honest with himself.

Mera saw it, too. She stroked his bearded cheek and said, “You don’t have to be tough all the time. Not for me.”

He met her blue eyes and nodded.

She brushed a strand of dark hair from his face. “I’ll start with your shoulder. How does it feel?”

“Burned.”

“That’s very helpful,” she replied sarcastically. Wetting a washcloth with cool water, she cleaned away sandy grit and carefully plucked out some charred remnants of his shirt. His skin was raw and angry-looking, blistered in some places, seeping a little blood in others. The way Arthur’s muscles tensed and his jaw tightened, she knew it hurt. “I wish I could go to the sea,” she said. “There are plants I could find that reduce pain and help healing.”

“The car,” Arthur replied cryptically. After a moment, he gathered his thoughts and explained, “Lots of people keep a first aid kit in their car.” Off Mera’s confused expression, he added, “There might be basic medical supplies in the car. Let me go…”

He couldn’t finish the sentence before Mera held him in place with a firm hand. “I will go look.”

Arthur fished the keys out of his pocket. “Look for a bag or a box with a cross on it. Probably a red cross.”

“Don’t go anywhere,” Mera said unnecessarily as she took the keys and went to the car.

Arthur closed his eyes. He hadn’t felt this bad since Italy, but at least Mera was unharmed. He began to drift off, but was jolted back to consciousness when she returned to the bathroom.

“I found it!” Mera set a white bag on the sink and unzipped it. Packages of gauze pads and rolls of bandages spilled out. She looked at the packets of pills and tubes of medicines with confusion. “I’ve never used any of these things.”

“Um…” Arthur looked at the supplies. He held up a packet of alcohol wipes. “These are good for cleaning cuts and stuff, but sucks to use. Hurts like hell.” He picked up a tube and read the contents. “Aloe vera burn relief gel.”

Mera took it from him. “Does this stuff really work?”

Arthur shrugged, then winced at the movement. “I don’t know. I don’t usually get hurt like this.”

“Then how did you get the scar above your eye?” Mera asked as she squeezed some of the green aloe onto her fingers and gently spread it over the raw skin of his shoulder.

“Ask Vulko,” he replied, focusing on Mera’s tender touch. “He’ll probably tell you I needed to learn how to block, but I think it scared the hell out of him. I was learning how to use a trident and… well.. I missed a block and he slashed me across the face. Pops had to take me to the E.R.”

“What’s that?”

“Emergency room,” he replied. “The doctors there stitched me back together. We had to make up a story about how it happened.” Arthur smiled as he met Mera’s eyes. “We couldn’t tell them the Atlantean vizier slashed me across the face during trident training.”

Mera returned his smile. She liked it when he dropped his gruff demeanour and let his humour and charm show. But her smile quickly faded as her eyes drifted to the ugly yellow scarf wrapped around his ribs, now stained with his blood. “Should I be taking you to the emergency room?”

“No,” Arthur quickly vetoed. “There’s no good story to explain a knife wound in my side. The doctors will report it to the cops—the police—and we’re driving a stolen car… It won’t end well.” He met her eyes again and this time she could see the pain lurking in their depths. “And I really just want to lay down and rest.”

“All right. Let me clean your side, then you can rest while we wait for your parents.” Mera carefully untied the knot and tried to peel the scarf from his ribs, but it was stuck with dried blood. She pulled a little harder.

Arthur grunted as it tugged at the scab. He cursed with surprise and pain when she abruptly yanked the material free. Blood instantly welled from the freshly opened wound. Mera quickly pressed a washcloth firmly against it to stop the bleeding. Arthur groaned again.

“Sorry,” Mera said contritely. “I thought it would be better to get it done quickly.”

“Yeah, but a warning would’ve been nice.” Arthur’s voice was tight with pain.

“Sorry,” she repeated. After a long, quiet moment, she softly said, “I’m so sorry.”

Arthur had never heard her sound so vulnerable before. He studied her critically, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes. “It’s OK, Mera. You just surprised me.”

“Not about that. I’m sorry…” she paused, glancing at his side. “You were hurt because of me.”

“Not because of you,” Arthur stated firmly. “Because I made a dangerous enemy and I wasn’t about to let you get hurt because of my mistake.”

“Arthur, you didn’t force him to be a pirate. You didn’t force him to live a life of violence. _He_ chose that.”

He looked down at the pattern in the black and white tiles of the bathroom floor. “That doesn’t mean I couldn’t have been a better man, made a better decision.”

Mera cupped his cheek and gently forced him to look at her. “You’ve become a better man. And thank you for protecting me. But next time, learn to block.”

They shared a smile and a quick kiss.

Returning her attention to the wound on his ribs, Mera was happy to see the bleeding had all but stopped. She turned on the water to the sink, waited for it to warm up, then wet a washcloth and carefully wiped away the blood from Arthur’s side. When she was done, she studied the long slash that cut deep into the muscle.

“Even Atlanteans can get infections from wounds this deep,” Mera noted. “Do we have any kind of disinfectant?”

Arthur glanced at the alcohol wipes and Mera followed his eyes.

“You said those hurt to use,” she said with concern.

He nodded. “Yeah, but it works.”

“Surface-dwellers need better medicines,” Mera grumbled as she tore open a package. “Are you ready?”

“I guess.” Arthur clamped his eyes shut and sucked in a sharp breath as the intense burn of the alcohol hit the open wound on his side and seemed to spread like a river of molten fire. He fought the urge to cry out, knowing Mera already felt somewhat guilty for him being wounded. He didn’t want her to feel any worse.

Mera felt his entire body tense as she touched the alcohol-soaked cloth to his side. His breathing quickened and the muscles of his jaw bulged as he clenched his teeth against the intense pain. She tried to be gentle, but also knew she had to be thorough. Despite their robust physiology, Atlanteans could still suffer from infections and fevers if wounds were not properly cleaned and treated.

When she was finished, Mera carefully bandaged Arthur’s ribs, securing the gauze with a snug knot. She stroked his cheek tenderly. “It’s done.”

He forced his eyes open and let out a long breath. “Good.”

“Come on, let’s get you to bed. You can rest while we wait for your parents.”

“Sounds great.” Pressing a hand to his wounded side, he heaved himself to his feet and walked to the bed. He sat down heavily, but before he could lay back, Mera caught his arm again.

“You are _not_ getting into bed with your dirty boots on,” she said with exasperation.

Arthur growled his annoyance, but slowly leaned forward to untie the laces.

Again, Mera stopped him. “Let me,” she said as she knelt in front of him and helped him pull off his boots. Smiling up at him, she warned, “Don’t get used to this.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he replied. Although pain and exhaustion lurked in his eyes, there was also a hint of humour in his expression. “Can I lay down now?”

“Yes.”

He let out a long sigh of relief as he laid back against the softness of the bed.

Mera brushed her fingers through his hair. “Rest now, Arthur,” she ordered before she turned away to sit at a small table.

Before she could move away, Arthur reached out and grasped her hand. “Stay with me? Please, Mera?”

He had an endearing sort of charm that was amplified when he dropped his gruff, brash façade and revealed his vulnerability. Mera couldn’t deny his plea. She kicked off her shoes and laid beside him, resting her head on his uninjured shoulder. She draped a hand over his chest, carefully avoiding his wound.

“Thanks for taking care of me, Mera.”

“You’re welcome, but next time don’t get hurt.”

“Next time? Are you planning on escape from pirates to be a regular thing?”

Mera smiled. As long as his sense of humour was intact, she knew he would be fine. “Arthur, go to sleep.” She kissed him lightly on the cheek. “I’ll wake you when your parents get here.”

He grunted a response as he closed his eyes and held Mera just a little bit tighter. It had been a hell of a day. He still had problems in Atlantis that needed to be addressed. His shoulder burned and his side throbbed with pain. Even with his Atlantean genes, it would take time to heal. But it ended with Mera in his arms, so it wasn’t really that bad of a day after all.

~The End~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this short little story. Special thanks to those who left kudos and comments.


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